Table of Contents

Metro

Metro
founder: Mrkva
depends on:
interested:
software license: -
hardware license: -

Introduction

Prague metro is the only subway system in Czech Republic. With 1.5 million passengers transported each day, it plays the crucial role in the Prague mass transport system. It is an interesting piece of technology, however lots of facts about it are not publicly available.

Radio system

Prague metro uses VHF radio in 150-160MHz range. To increase coverage, at top of the tunnels are installed waveguide cables. There are also few radio repeaters in use, activated with CTCSS system.

Be aware that unauthorized receiving of traffic is a misdemeanour and under normal circumstances it is a felony to transmit on these frequencies without permit.

Area Downlink Uplink DL CTCSS UL CTCSS Callsigns
Line A 156.525MHz 152.025MHz 162.2Hz 82.5Hz METRO1xx
Line B 155.600MHz 151.100MHz 186.2Hz 94.8Hz METRO2xx
Line C 156.675MHz 152.175MHz 71.9Hz 71.9Hz METRO3xx
Kacerov yard 155.600MHz ? 218.1Hz ? METRO3x
Hostivar yard 156.700MHz ? ? ? METRO1x

*FIXME* There are other frequencies most likely allocated to DPP, please help us identify those:

Frequencies lower than 155MHz are most likely repeater uplinks, frequencies higher than 160MHz most likely some digital traffic.

Callsigns are numbered in the following way:

Callsigns lower than METRO100 are still unidentified, however are in use.

When train contacts traffic control, it first identifies itself with CCIR selcall in the format: 20xxx, where xxx are the numbers in the callsign. Selcall code is followed by dual tone 852Hz and 1477Hz (DTMF “9”). The control then calls the train. When control calls the train first, no selcall or DTMF is used. When train calls railway yard, it uses same CCIR, but it is followed by a single 1500Hz tone instead of DTMF.

There is also some voice traffic on 156.700MHz (I think I've heard callsign METRO23), captured on the surface. Further investigation is in progress.

Other frequencies

The company that operates Prague metro has more frequencies allocated, see CTU database. On line A on frequency used mostly on line C is are transmitted beeps, approx 0.5Hz. On 155.675MHz there is also some (not voice) communication, on lane A. Signal is sometimes heard in the area Dejvicka-Staromestska, in tunnel Starometska-Mustek quickly disappears (the antenna is probably separated into two parts).

Project suggestions: find how well are signals on publicly available frequencies spreading through the tunnels - could be possibly used for nice long range transmission. There are no regla * tions concerning using custom radio equipment in the metro. Frequencies that might work:

Metro regulations

There are many documents that regulate metro operation. We have managed to acquire some of them under Freedom of information act (law 106/1999). Sorry, documents are in Czech only. After a recent event that might, or might not be connected to publication of these documents, I've decided to make them available only from internal network (at least for a now). Documents are now at data.brm:/data/mirror/Metro

D2/1 in printed form is also available in brmLibrary (together with CD with D6/1, Ds2/1, V1/1, V4/1), barcode 529. Here is Freedom of information request that can be used to obtain more documents (Czech only).